Can CAFÉ push electric vehicles?

The transportation sector is said to comprise about 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Reduction of emissions from motor vehicles, which comprise about 90% of the sector, is thus paramount for the attainment of the target.

India’s wish to accommodate electric vehicles in its fleet has been through several phases-- from soft nudges to automakers, to dictacts and their roll back amid lobbying, and very recently, economic downturn-- EVs in India have gone through their fair share of dilly-dallying. While the government wants to shift India’s drive from petrol and diesel-run vehicles to electric, making

the most polluted cities in the world. “Countries like Japan are so aggressive in terms of their fuel efficiency because they are reliant on external sources for meeting their fuel or energy needs,” said a government official who did not wish to be identified. “CAFE must be made stricter to reduce India’s dependence on crude import,” the official added.